How can I find the best, most affordable camp for my kid?

Picking a summer camp is always a vexing task as you try find a camp that is both fun and enriching. Coming up with the right camp is even more difficult this year as the economy further strains already stressed family budgets and cost becomes a concern like neverbefore. Here are some ways to find a quality camp at an affordable price.

Discounts

With camps' weekly costs ranging from $125 to as much as $1,000 for high-end specialty camps, you'll probably want to find ways to cut costs. Try looking for discounts online. At retailmenot.com – which provides coupon codes for a variety of products and services, including camps – there's a coupon code for cybercamps.com, which offers technology camps in select cities, including San Diego.

There's also camp coupons.blogspot.com, which lists a smattering of deals. Also check to see if there are special unadvertised deals. At the University of San Diego, for instance, alumni get 5 percent off on its summer sports camps.

Can't find a coupon? Try asking the camp director for a price break, says Michele Branconier, executive director of the American Camp Association for the Southern California region. She said she is hearing from camps that more families are requesting aid this year and that camps are trying to help out. “Camp directors are willing to work with parents. It's all about making that phone call,” she said. “They can't say yes unless you ask.”

For those in great financial need, there are also scholarships, or camperships. (For more information, see related story on E4.)

Early bird

If you sign up and/or pay early, many camps will give you a discount for as much as 5 percent of the total cost. Many of those deadlines are fast approaching, so you may want to start planning your summer schedule now. The Mission Valley YMCA, for example, has an early-sign-up event today at which members will get a $15 discount for each week of camp. Nonmembers who sign up today will get a free summer youth membership that will give them the discounted member price on camps through the end of August, which can save $30 to $50 a week,depending on the camp.

Group rates

Many camps give discounts for each additional sibling, which can help cut costs. You might also want to check and see if the camp will give a discount rate if you and your friends and neighbors can assemble a group of kids to attend the same camp. Not only may you get a discount, but you can also set up a car pool, which can save time and gas. “It's certainly worth a try,” Branconier said. Some camps give discounts for referrals, too.

Counselor in training

If your child is older, you may want to see if a camp has a counselor-in-training program, which can often cost far less than an actual camp. The Mission Bay Youth Water Sports Camp, for instance, has a program where kids 14 and older can assist camp counselors in a variety of duties. The program costs $250, and kids must commit to at least two weeks of service. That can be a big cost savings, considering full-day camps there can range from $300 to $370 a week. For more information on this particular program, go to watersportscamp.com.

Branconier said these types of training programs are great for teaching leadership skills, but they can be selective, requiring your child to interview and supply references. Make sure your child is ready for the challenge.

Refund policy

With so much economic uncertainty, you will definitely want to find out what a camp's refund policy is. Many only provide refunds in the case of medical issues or only give a portion of the deposit back. Others might only give you a credit for next year. Be sure to double-check.

Tax credit

If you work full time or are looking for a job, it's possible to get a tax break for a summer day camp because it is considered a day-care service. (Sleep-away camps don't qualify.) Go to
www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p503.pdf
to find out more. Another option is to use a dependent-care flexible spending account, which allows you to be reimbursed on a pre-tax basis for child care as a way to save money. Your child needs to be under 13 and going to day camp. Go to fsafeds.com to find out more.

Hours

A full day at many camps only lasts from around 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., so you may have to pay extra if you have to drop off your child early or can't get your child until after 5 p.m. When calculating the cost of a camp, make sure to include the extra cost of extended care. For instance, the Mission Valley YMCA has free extended hours where kids can be dropped off as early as 6:30 a.m. and picked up as late as 6 p.m.

Branconier said one creative way to deal with shortened camp hours is to set up a baby-sitting cooperative with other parents, where everyone takes a turn during the week to pick the children up early. She said the parent in charge can often just take the kids to a nearby park or to their house. That way you don't have to pay extra fees and you don't have to miss a lot of hours at work.

Extra costs

To determine the real cost of a camp, consider things like whether the camp provides snacks or meals and whether you need to buy any additional equipment or materials. The Junior Lifeguard program offered by the city of San Diego is a good value at $500 for a month of camp, but you do have to buy uniforms and flippers, which can set you back as much as $60. Also, kids might need to get rash guards or wet suits during the camp, which can be pricey.

Considering the extra costs is especially important when dealing with resident camps, where your child will be away from home for weeks or even months. One key thing to consider is whether transportation is included. While sleep-away camps can cost anywhere from $200 to more than $1,000 a week, remember that you are saving on food and entertainment expenses while your child is away.

Age ranges

One thing you might want to check, especially as your child gets older, is the age ranges. A camp might say it accepts kids between ages 8 to 16, but there is a good chance that it will skew younger. Try to pin the camp down on what the age distribution was in past summers and see how they split the ages up. Also, Branconier recommended asking the camp for references from past summers. The last thing you want is your 15-year-old grumbling because she is stuck with a bunch of fourth-graders. The best bet is to sign up for camps with a more narrow age range.

Interests

You can find a camp for almost any interest, so really think about what would delight your child. There are sports camps, computer camps, language camps and even Harry Potter camps that try to re-create the Hogwarts experience. But beyond finding the right focus, you need to find the right fit. Say your kid is interested in a theater camp but doesn't have much experience in the performing arts and is a bit shy. Make sure you aren't signing her up for a camp where she's going to be outclassed by seasoned performers. The same goes for sports camps. “You need to ask, is your child competitive? Is this just recreational? Ask the director to make sure the philosophy of the program is a good fit,” Branconier said.

Size

Large community camps can seem overwhelming for parents and for kids, but Branconier said that what's more important than the overall size of the camp is the number of counselors and your child's relationship with those counselors. While some children might like variety and are only too happy to change camps and counselors every week, other kids might thrive as they develop a more long-term relationship with a counselor. “You need to know your kid and ask the right questions of the camp directors,” Branconier said. The American Camp Association also has guidelines for how many children should be reporting to one counselor. For 4-to 5-year-olds at a day program, for instance, it should be one counselor for every six campers. For 6-to 8-year-olds, it should be one counselor for every eight campers.